Christopher's Diary: Secrets of Foxworth

Jealousy, tragedy, survival, and revenge - the discovery of Christopher’s diary in the ruins of Foxworth Hall brings new secrets of the Dollanganger family to light and obsesses a new generation. With Flowers in the Attic and Petals on the Wind both now major Lifetime TV events, this first new addition to the Dollanganger story in nearly 30 years is a timely look at the events in the attic - from teenage Christopher’s point of view.

My Sweet Audrina: The Audrina Series

Audrina fiercely desired to be as good as her sister. She knew her father could not love her as he loved that other girl, for her sister was so special, so perfect - and dead. Upstairs in a locked room awaited her sister's clothes and dolls, her animals and games - and her sacred rocking chair. Now Audrina will rock and rock and rock to reclaim all of her gone sister's special gifts.

Ruby: The Landry Series, Book 1

Lovely, red-haired Ruby Landry’s early years have been shrouded in mystery. She trusts only her loving grandmother and her simple bayou life. But her past, darker than she could ever imagine, is waiting to overshadow her as she grows into a beautiful, accomplished young artist and moves into a sophisticated world. Best-selling author V. C. Andrews’ talent for creating breathtaking tales of obsession is fully evident in Ruby. Narrator Barbara Rosenblat adds just the right touches of emotion....

The Unwelcomed Child

Elle Edwards, who has been told she's a product of her mother's sinful mistake, has never gone to school, never met a teenager her own age, never even been allowed off of her grandparents' property. Convinced that their granddaughter is infected with evil, Myra and Prescott Edwards believe that only the harshest child-rearing methods will prevent Elle from becoming an instrument of the devil.

The Mirror Sisters: The Mirror Sisters Series

Alike in every single way...with one dark exception. As identical twins, their mother insists that everything about them be identical: their clothes, their toys, their friends...the number of letters in their names: Haylee Blossom Fitzgerald and Kaylee Blossom Fitzgerald. If one gets a hug, the other must, too. If one gets punished, the other must be, too.

The Bone Collector

New York City is thrown into chaos by the assaults of the Bone Collector, a serial kidnapper and killer who gives the police a chance to save his victims from death by leaving obscure clues. The cops go to Lincoln Rhyme, an ex-NYPD forensics expert left paralysed after an accident on the job. Rhyme reluctantly postpones his ambitions towards suicide and puts together a forensic investigation team, enlisting as his eyes and ears young police officer Amelia Sachs.

Daughter of Darkness

Seventeen-year-old Lorelei Patio is the adopted daughter of 200-year-old vampire Sergio Patio. She never realized why her family has had to move so often or why she is not permitted to get too friendly with other young people. In fact, except for one shocking moment that seemed more like a dream, Lorelei never fully realized who and what her father was nor what her sisters were brought up to do for him. But one day, that all changed.

Final Girls: A Novel

Ten years ago college student Quincy Carpenter went on vacation with five friends and came back alone, the only survivor of a horror movie-scale massacre. In an instant she became a member of a club no one wants to belong to - a group of similar survivors known in the press as the Final Girls.

Forbidden Sister: Forbidden, Book 1

Emmie Wilcox was only six when her sister, Roxy, was thrown out of their New York City apartment. Their stern father's military style left no room for rebellion, and Roxy was continually defiant and rebellious. Emmie is obedient, respectful. Two sisters, total opposites - yet Emmie is secretly obsessed with the mystery and imposed silence surrounding Roxy. She wants excitement, and being a good girl all the time is harder than it seems. Finally, Emmie goes behind her father's back to track down and spy on the sister she can't help but be fascinated with.

Thirteen Reasons Why

Clay Jensen returns home from school to find a strange package with his name on it lying on his porch. Inside he discovers several cassette tapes recorded by Hannah Baker, his classmate and crush, who committed suicide two weeks earlier. Hannah's voice explains that there are 13 reasons she decided to end her life. Clay is one of them. If he listens, he'll find out why.

The Good Girls Revolt: How the Women of Newsweek Sued their Bosses and Changed the Workplace

It was the 1960s - a time of economic boom and social strife. Young women poured into the workplace, but the “Help Wanted” ads were segregated by gender and the “Mad Men” office culture was rife with sexual stereotyping and discrimination. Lynn Povich was one of the lucky ones, landing a job at Newsweek, renowned for its cutting-edge coverage of civil rights and the “Swinging Sixties.” Nora Ephron, Jane Bryant Quinn, Ellen Goodman, and Susan Brownmiller all started there as well. It was a top-notch job - for a girl - at an exciting place. But it was a dead end.

Christine Falls: A Novel

It's not the dead that seem strange to Quirke. It's the living. One night, after a few drinks at an office party, Quirke shuffles down into the morgue where he works and finds his brother-in-law, Malachy, altering a file he has no business even reading. Odd enough in itself to find Malachy there, but the next morning, when the haze has lifted, it looks an awful lot like his brother-in-law, the esteemed doctor, was in fact tampering with a corpse, and concealing the cause of death.

Sage's Eyes

Sixteen-year-old Sage is a lonely child. Her adoptive parents watch her obsessively, as if studying her for warning signs of...something. And maybe they're right to - even she can't make sense of the strange things she sees and hears. She possesses knowledge that other teenagers don't, that her parents and teachers - no adult - could possibly have. So when Sage finally makes a friend who understands her alarming gift, he becomes her confidant, a precarious link to the truth about who she really is.

The Stranger Within

Be careful what you wish for. On the surface, Callie Harwell has it all. Newly married to James, she finally gets the family she has longed for and becomes a mother to his two sons. So why is she arrested for murder? Things are not as Callie hoped they would be and she struggles to be accepted as part of James' family, and to keep hidden the secrets that could destroy her future. As her life spirals out of control, setting in motion a chain of events with devastating consequences, Callie is forced to question how well we ever really know ourselves.

It

Welcome to Derry, Maine. It's a small city, a place as hauntingly familiar as your own hometown. Only in Derry the haunting is real. They were seven teenagers when they first stumbled upon the horror. Now they are grown-up men and women who have gone out into the big world to gain success and happiness. But the promise they made 28 years ago calls them to reunite in the same place where, as teenagers, they battled an evil creature that preyed on the city's children.

Behind Her Eyes: A Novel

Louise is a single mom, a secretary, stuck in a modern-day rut. On a rare night out, she meets a man in a bar, and sparks fly. Though he leaves after they kiss, she's thrilled she finally connected with someone. When Louise arrives at work on Monday, she meets her new boss, David. The man from the bar. The very married man from the bar...who says the kiss was a terrible mistake but who still can't keep his eyes off Louise.

White Plague

In the remote, frozen waters of the Arctic Ocean, the high-powered and technically advanced submarine U.S.S. Montana is in peril. Adrift and in flames, the boat - and the entire crew - could be lost. The only team close enough to get to them in time is led by Marine doctor and bio-terror expert Joe Rush.

Sick: A Project Eden Thriller

Daniel Ash wakes after midnight to the cry of his daughter. Just a bad dream, he thinks. She's had them before. Yet he can't help but worry when she cries out again as he pads down the hallway. Stepping through her doorway, he expects to find her sitting up in bed, frightened by a nightmare. But the nightmare is his. It's real. And it's just beginning....

Wayfaring Stranger

In 1934, 16-year-old Weldon Avery Holland confronts the notorious outlaws Bonnie and Clyde, resulting with Weldon firing a gun, unsure whether it hit its mark. Ten years later Second Lieutenant Weldon Holland barely survives the Battle of the Bulge, in the process saving the lives of Hershel Pine and a young prisoner of war, Rosita Lowenstein - a woman who holds the same romantic power over him as the beautiful Bonnie Parker.

Cover Your Eyes

At first, they struggle to escape. Then a torrent of blows rains down upon their bodies until their eyes cloud over in final agony. The killer shows no remorse - just a twisted need to witness each victim's last terrified moments. Public defender Rachel Wainwright is struggling to reopen a decades-old case, convinced that the wrong man is in prison. Homicide detective Deke Morgan doesn't want to agree.

The Girl Who Was Supposed to Die

"Take her out back and finish her off." She doesn’t know who she is. She doesn’t know where she is, or why. All she knows when she comes to in a ransacked cabin is that two men are arguing over whether or not to kill her.And that she must run.

My Husband's Wife: A Novel

For fans of Big Little Lies and The Couple Next Door comes an addictive psychological thriller that's already an international sensation. When young lawyer Lily marries Ed, she's determined to make a fresh start. To leave the secrets of the past behind. But then she takes on her first murder case and meets Joe. A convicted murderer whom Lily is strangely drawn to. For whom she will soon be willing to risk almost anything.

Stillhouse Lake

With her ex now in prison, Gwen has finally found refuge in a new home on remote Stillhouse Lake. Though still the target of stalkers and Internet trolls who think she had something to do with her husband's crimes, Gwen dares to think her kids can finally grow up in peace. But just when she's starting to feel at ease in her new identity, a body turns up in the lake - and threatening letters start arriving from an all-too-familiar address.

Lyrebird Hill

Ruby Cardel has the semblance of a normal life – a loving boyfriend, a career she loves – but in one terrible moment, her life begins to unravel. The discovery that the death of her beloved sister, so many years ago, was not the accident she’d always been told makes her question all she’s known about herself. Travelling back home to Lyrebird Hill, the beautiful bushland property where she grew up with her mother and sister, Ruby begins to remember the year that has been blocked in her memory.

Publisher's Summary

This best-selling thriller has captivated over 4.5 million readers of all ages; V.C. Andrews’ fans know her mixture of vivid characters and ominous moods is highly addictive. Flowers in the Attic is the first book in a gripping series featuring the Dollangagers - a family haunted by a remorseless, demonic history. This tale of obsession, also made into a haunting movie, has made V.C. Andrews’ name synonymous with the best in dark suspense.

I have no idea, how at the age of 13, I managed to get my hands on this book. But I did, and I became completely obsessed with it.I read it so much, that my Mother took it away from me. She said "I acted different and strange" while I was reading it.

She must not have read "Flowers" before me. Because there is NO WAY she would have allowed me anywhere near this book. What with the child abuse, the incestuous affair, the murdered child, not to mention, the poisoning of the three legged pet mouse . I wouldn't let my kids read it either.

So, imagine my surprise to find "Flowers In The Attic" while checking out the New Release page on Audible. All those old, strange feelings came rushing back. So, of course, I bought the book, downloaded it, and began listening right there and then. All the while feeling the familiar naughtiness of my youth. Like sneaking to the candy store without telling anyone (which I did a lot) .

What are my thoughts and reactions to "Flowers" after all the time that has passed? Well first, I can't believe how much I remember from the story. I can still picture the characters exactly how I saw them as my younger self. And second, I'm amazed how well this story, which was written in the late 70's, has held up to the test of time. It's still a sad and very interesting tale of love, loss, and the ultimate betrayal.

Would I recommend it? Yes, it's credit worthy. Alyssa Bresnahan is an experienced and talented narrator. Which as fellow audiobook readers, we know, can make or break even the best written books out there.

FYI : While listening to this book, I acted "different and strange ". But no one noticed. :)

I remember my mother reading this series many years ago, she loved it. I don't know why it came to mind but I am so glad it did. Can't wait to get to the next book. I listened to it straight through, very hard to put down!! Also I really liked the narration so much, I had to speed it up a notch and that did the trick.

I Love a great supernatural tale, a Love story, PNR, a Cool Mystery and Most Sci-Fi....if there are vampires, weres or witches in it, that's a plus! Basically I am a 40+ y/o young at heart woman rediscovering the wonderful world of books and am now addicted! Lol I LOVE AUDIBLE!!!!!

Yes....I read this book several times in my teens...and the series...it was just as daunting this time as it was when I read it then...and even more sad...

What did you like best about this story?

This is not a story to like....its a chilling, and horrifying tale of how money can make people do very cruel things....even a mother...

What about Alyssa Bresnahan’s performance did you like?

I wish she would of had a younger voice...but I must say she was excellent in her performance...especially the 2nd half...

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

It made me cry a LOT! I just wanted to slap there mother...how could anyone be so cruel to there children? It is beyond reprieve to me...she deserves the worst in life...and we know in future books...she just may get it....*wink*

Any additional comments?

Such a sad book....but it will definitely keep you on the edge of your seat....and it is well worth a listen...just make sure you have a box of Kleenex handy....lol

I read this as a girl of 15 and could relate to Cathy D. which is probably why I loved the book so much. This book was banned in many schools in the eighties and beyond for the incestuous scenes in the book, while disturbing (as she ment it to be) it was really a small part of a terrifing tale of straife in the lives of these children. There has also been a lot of controversy over whether or not this is a true story. Most of those rumors started after her pitch to get the book published included a quote saying: "This is a fiction novel of a true story", some in the family say she wrote it after meeting a doctor in a hospital who told her a story of himself and three siblings living in an attic for 6 years (which was shortened to 3 in the book for "belivability") to preserve the family wealth. It was never confirmed.

A small exerpt from her bio...

Virginia C. Andrews died on the 19th of December, 1986, after being diagnosed with breast cancer. She was 63 years old. She was buried in Olive Branch Cemetery in Portsmouth, Virginia, where she spent her most beloved childhood years. At the time of her death, her accomplishments as a writer were great. She had over 24 million books in print and her books were translated into Dutch, German, Hebrew, Spanish, Italian, Norwegian, Portuguese, Swedish, and Turkish. Her estate was estimated at about $8 million. A film version of her cult-classic first novel Flowers in the Attic, was released in 1987 by Fries Entertainment/New World Pictures. This film brought her dreams of being an actress to realization when Virginia appeared in a silent cameo as a window-scrubbing maid.

Two more novels were published after her death: Garden of Shadows, a prequel to Flowers, and Fallen Hearts, the third chapter of the Casteel series. With these novels, the Andrews family declared that more of Virginia's completed stories would be published in the future. Five years before her death, Virginia told the Washington Post that she had created synopses for sixty-three other stories, not including those that were already in print. The Casteel series was brought to a memorable close with Gates of Paradise and Web of Dreams.

A public letter written by the Andrews family (printed in the novels, beginning with Dawn) revealed that the family was "working closely with a carefully selected writer" to expand and continue the story-telling genius of V.C. Andrews. The identity of this writer had been kept a secret from the general public at the request of the Andrews family for years, but it's hard to hold on to a secret that big. The ghostwriter has since been identified as horror novelist Andrew Neiderman. Beginning with the later novels of the Casteel series, this new writer has worked hard to carry the torch that Virginia left burning brightly with a fire that her devoted readers refuse to extinguish.

STORY - Audible calls this a mystery/suspense. ,Ha! LOL! While there are some aspects that you don't know upfront, that's true of any book, or why would we ever read anything? I'd call this a story that's about 14 hours too long, that is extremely dull or, alternatively, horribly dark and depressing. Tried to give it 0 stars but Audible won't let me. I don't usually write reviews with spoilers, but I feel it's necessary to explain just how horrible this book is.

**SPOILERS** In a nutshell, it's about four children who live in their grandparents' attic for 3 1/2 years. Their mother hides them there because their grandfather doesn't know of their existence. If he finds out, the mother will not inherit his millions when he dies. For about 8 book-hours the children are hopeful and their mother visits regularly. The grandmother verbally abuses and threatens them. She is a religious fanatic, and calls them Devil Spawn. The older kids "parent" the younger ones, and all four entertain themselves with junk in the attic. They paint it to make it more cheerful, and they make paper "Flowers in the Attic." But I must repeat, you will listen to 8 long hours of children entertaining themselves in an attic...

The next 8 hours are just as awful, but instead of boring they become dark and depressing. The mother visits less and less, eventually once every month or so. The kids are always sick, and one eventually dies of pneumonia. The younger ones' are scrawny and underdeveloped, and their heads appear too large and heavy for their bodies. The older kids become sexually inquisitive, and at one point there is actual brother-sister sex. The kids are beaten, and one time grandma punishes them by giving them no food for a week. The oldest boy slashes his wrist so the others can drink his blood for nourishment. They also eat rats. Another time the grandma thinks the oldest girl is vain, so she drugs all the children and puts tar in her hair. So, anyway, after 8 hours of listening to kids play, you get another 8 hours of them suffering.

The final hour or so is still awful, but at least things start to wrap up. The kids learn their grandfather died about a year ago, and their mother has remarried and moved away. They also learn why they've been so sick. Grandma has been poisoning them, and their mother knew! Okay. So they finally sneak out of the house and manage to board a nearby train. The book ends with grandma looking out their attic window as the train pulls away. The end. Finally!

PERFORMANCE - The book is told in first person by Cathy, the oldest daughter, who is about 13-17 years old during her years in the attic. The narrator sounded about 40. She does an okay job, but Audible should have made a better choice.

OVERALL - There is no cursing, but there is the abovementioned violence and sex. If this book had been about 14 hours shorter, it might have been tolerable. Maybe. It would have been a message about the resilience of children, adolescence, and a lesson about greed. There would have also been the shock factor of the whole situation. But 17 hours for this book was waaaaaaaaay too long. I can't believe 70% of Amazon readers rated this book 5 stars, and the average Audible overall rating was 4.1. Oh, and there's a sequel named Petals in the Wind, which apparently picks up after the kids make their escape. Definitely not going to go there. I don't recommend this book for anyone, much less its sequal.

I had heard about this book when I was younger and finally decided to "read" it. I wouldn't read it again and I don't recommend it. The story was told well and I was glued to listening to this book to find out what happened but it was a pretty warped story.